Infinity Reborn
by Hay
Summary: Take a journey through the past lives that led Piper and Leo to their present life. A co-write I wrote with Amber
1. Default Chapter

Prologue  
  
  
  
Earth's miniscule touch of life  
A timely death  
A tragedy  
  
Heaven's open heart  
A soul too good to condemn  
One yet to fulfil destiny  
  
Spread your wings  
Open your heart  
Let your soul be reborn  
  
Seek through all eternity for true love  
As time will last forever  
And life will never end  
  
A soul will not come to rest  
Until the heart is true  
And everlasting love will ultimately prevail  



	2. An Innocence Lost

An Innocence Lost  
  
It began...1793  
  
Born within hours of each other, lying beside each other in cribs, wrapped snugly in blankets as the duty matron checked on each baby individually. Eyes peeked open, brown met green, friends were made. Soul-mates were found.   
  
~~~  
We can stay right here   
Till our heads are clear  
~~~  
  
First steps were made, as they wandered across to one another. Their first words spoken were the same, as both were fonder of Father than Mother. Hair grew and vocabulary increased, teeth fell and were replaced. Dreams were found and ambitions sought.   
  
They lived within minutes of each other, houses mere metres apart. Long summer days were spent basking in each other's company the maid's orders to stop running, ignored with childish grins and the nanny's offer of a book, quickly discarded. The two ran endlessly round the garden, she was dressed in her layers of dress, he in his long trousers and smart white shirt now covered in grass stains. Their hair was tousled but eyes alive, dancing and winkling in the dusky light. Ribbons were lost and the thoughts of bedtimes and sleep forgotten. They saw just each other in a childhood dependency based on the foundations of friendship with the potential for endless love. They could sit talking for hours on end, without a care in the world but for each other. Sundays in church were dutifully spent sat rigid, sneaking mischievous glances at each other, whispering jokes and Mother's stern hand landed on daughter's back but brought no avail.  
  
~~~  
We can lose all track of time  
~~~  
  
Their fifth birthday arrived, and still they were, the very best of friends. Other's whispered critically, that she should be playing with dolls, and he with a train set, but the two needed no entertainment, only each other and their endless imaginations. Their laughs echoed around the estate as she tried to find him and he raced after her.  
  
Home schooling prevailed and a teacher was hired to indulge them in knowledge they already knew. Books were read in record time and homework completed, tables learnt so school would be over sooner. Blonde hair flew next to brown; giggles flowed through the house and garden. They were in their own haven, quietly sneaking apples from the orchard and grinning as juice ran down chins and eyes shone with youth. Winter was spent indoors, their homes becoming a secret castle with centuries of lingering ghosts.   
  
Father whispered to Mother, Mother whispered to Father.  
  
"What will happen when....."   
  
"She'll hate us if....."   
  
Their dancing eyes saw nothing and their ears heard no whispers. They knew nothing of the   
dramatic impending change that was about to occur.   
  
Lives would change, friends would be lost, soul-mates would be parted.   
  
~~~  
If I lose you   
I lose a part of me   
~~~  
  
He was six years old as he sat beside her, their grubby hands clasped. Sinking into his Father's grand leather chair, they sat; eyes wide open. Sharp elbows dug playfully into sides, and smiles were suppressed as their parents entered the room. Tensions increased, fearful glances shared, but still they sat...completely oblivious.   
  
"Leonard." His father began. He looked up, giving his full attention to the man.   
  
"Yes Father?" He asked politely.  
  
"We're moving away, Leonard. Today."   
  
The words sank in, and his world collapsed. His hand tightened around hers and a lump formed in both their throats. This was all they'd ever known. Each other, each other's smile, laugh, eyes........ it was all coming to an abrupt end. Their world was ending, and there was nothing their six your old bodies and minds could do.  
  
He felt like screaming, shouting, yelling at this man who he now loved and hated in equal quantities. He swallowed his rage and it became a small whimper, matching hers exactly. Outside the rain fell as a horse and carriage drew up. The horse reared and hooves thudded heavily on the hard ground.   
  
"Now?" he managed, in a barely audible whisper. His was trying desperately to comprehend what was happening, unable to understand the full extent of this change. She wanted scream and yell, but she remained seated, tears falling down her cheeks. Children were to be seen, but never heard.  
  
"Piper." He gasped out fearfully.  
  
Her cries of woe echoed through the room but no amount of protest or childish sobs would change their parent's commands. Leonard was brought sharply to his feet their hands still clasped in a deathly grip. His father looked at her father in disgust as he desperately tried to pry his son's hand away. She ran with him to the door, and their tears fell together. Brown met green, and brunette saw only golden. His father barged past her father with fiery eyes and his mother regretting committed to a hug from her mother.   
  
Leo tried to fight his father's touch, but his strength far outweighed the small child. Their hands parted and screams finally prevailed. Their fingers were outstretched, a last touch, a last shared moment. Her cries echoed his.   
  
"Leo!"   
  
"Piper!"   
  
Childhood innocence was lost, the true harsh reality of life found sharply and abruptly. Eyes once full of childhood glee and youth glazed over, never to let a love like that enter again, for fear of losing it once more. His Father, though answered respectfully at all times, had lost the awe of his son and would never be forgiven. Hearts closed off to love and friendship, eyes lost a sparkle that they had retained since birth; parents lost their godliness. The world was a different place, no longer full of the wonders of life but instead of the cruelness of it.   
  
Friendships were lost; soul-mates were parted. Perfection was never given forever. They lived their lives respectfully, never being granted a second chance. They committed to lovers, raised a family and eventually died a natural death. Two hearts forced apart and denied love, would again be reunited. With just seconds separating their death, they were reborn and given life on earth to find each other. For soul-mates were meant to be and heaven would not prevail until they were together.  
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
It ended...1843  



	3. A Love Forbidden

A Love Forbidden  
  
Reborn...1843  
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
Their eyes met across the room and they couldn't help but break into a smile. Piper stood elegant and beautiful, having just been presented to society as a debutante. Leo approached her cautiously, bowing ever so slightly and offering his hand. They walked slowly into the dancing area, falling into perfect rhythm, their bodies melting into one as they lost themselves in the music and each other.  
  
He played the perfect gentleman, kissing only her cheek when he had found her lips years before. Her parents watched with distaste, for Leo was far from the appropriate suitor. He was a young man with barely enough money to purchase suitable attire for Piper's debutante ball. He could never provide her with the necessary social and economic standard that was deemed necessary. But he could offer her love. The tender kisses and gentle touch; eyes that would never lose an eternal admiration and a heart that would never stop beating for her.  
  
But it wasn't to be.  
  
"Come Piper. It is time you met your fiancé." He approached them from behind, whispering loud enough to tear through Leo's chest and terrorise her soul.  
  
"No Father. I will not marry Daniel." She retaliated harshly, her hands gripping Leo's shirt, as if holding on would protect her.  
  
"It's been arranged. I will not hear another word, you will come now or I will make a scene." A sob caught in her throat and she reached out desperately for Leo as her father tore her away.  
  
"Tonight." She managed to gasp between breaths, her eyes meeting his in a silent understanding. Leo could read her mind and he could feel her heartache. They inevitable had finally arrived.   
  
Leo rushed outside, watching her roughly pushed into a carriage and taken away. She cast a last glance into the dark starless night and found him staring back at her, longing to wipe away the tears that filled her eyes and wet her cheeks.   
  
~~~  
Will you lay with me  
Till the sun peaks through the blinds.  
~~~  
  
Leo rushed through the bushes, the stars shining brightly and his clock showing just five minutes to midnight. He halted, just metres from their secret cabin. A small wooden shack containing just a fireplace and shelter, this was their safe haven. It was a place to be together when her family would not permit them contact. More than a meeting point it was very much a cabin of newfound discoveries.   
  
The secrets that dared not to be uttered elsewhere. Innocent lies, an infinite number of dreams and ambitions, and powerful fears.   
  
Their first tender kiss as carefree adolescents, too gentle, too passionate to be one of lust and not love.  
  
Their first exploration of the human anatomy, intercepted with smiles and giggles as they found the pleasures of adulthood. But still they'd waited; more than content with each other's touch. 'Wait until we're married Leo. We'll make it special.' Piper had whispered breathlessly, curling into his arms and relaxing in the sanctity known only to those who are truly meant to be.   
  
Now he stood again, outside that cabin. Fearful of taking the few extra steps that would reveal if Piper had made it. If she'd escaped the strangle hold of her Father or her new capture, Daniel. Taking a deep, trembling breath, Leo pushed on. Holding his hand up to the failing doorknob and pushing the door open. A mass of warmth enveloped him and he breathed a sigh of release and broke into a grin. "Piper." He whispered, closing the door and rushing to her. With his arms wrapped around her waist, he bent slightly and pressed his lips to hers. The warmth from the fire paling in comparison to the rush of heat that ran through their veins. "Are you alright?" Leo questioned, breaking the kiss momentarily.  
  
Piper nodded, her cheeks engraved with dried tears, holding to Leo as if tomorrow would never come. "I'm leaving. Tomorrow." She blurted out, her voice wavering.  
  
"No." Leo gasped, kneeling to the floor and burying his face in her stomach.  
  
"I'm sorry. Daniel is taking me away, he sees you as such a threat." Piper explained, the words catching in her throat and converting to a sob. "I'm sorry."  
  
"I can't let you go." Leo stated, his voice muffled and barely audible.  
  
"Leo please. I have to." She hesitated slightly, trying to control her quivering voice. "But we still have tonight."  
  
Leo glanced up at her; his tear filled eyes meeting hers as he read her thoughts and felt her honestly. He brought his face back down, his fingers drawing away the ribbon that held her dress to her. Affectionate kisses were pressed to her abdomen, his hot breath felt beneath her dress and corset. Laying her gently to the blanketed floor he exposed her, kissing places he'd dared not to touch and crossing the invisible barrier of no return.   
  
The night was spent basking in the ultimate demonstration of their love. Never to meet again, they would always hold a piece of each other that could never be returned. A gift that would last forever. Their lives would pass by quickly and they would only meet again in their dreams. But there wasn't a late star filled night that would go by without a small smile and thoughts of their pure love.   
  
At 50 years of age, they each looked to the heavens and said their goodbyes to earth. For too long they'd been denied true love. It was time to begin again.  
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
It ended...1873  



	4. A Perfection Denied

A Perfection Denied  
  
Reborn...1873  
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
He looked down at the sickly young women, how frail and small she looked, swathed in bed linen and blankets but still a startling shade of blue. He hated this part, the knowledge he couldn't save her, despite being a doctor.... Her eyes fluttered open and she tried to whisper a greeting. He hated losing patients, but to have such a long drawn out process... it was the worst kind of death, to know each day brought poorer health and more pain. His heart went out to her, remembering the bright young woman who had stepped into his clinic all those months ago. Now, even with the best medical knowledge available, she had been reduced to this, a quivering wreck of a human being, on the very brink of death. He sat down on the small wooden chair beside her bed and smiled softly.   
  
"You don't have good news for me, do you, Dr. Wyatt?" She smiled back, suppressing a cry of anguish. The young man's face changed to one of sadness. It showed genuine sadness, not just that of any doctor for any patient. He had come to think of Miss Halliwell as a good friend, and always spoke to her after his rounds were over, out of choice.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Miss..." She gave him one of those looks he had come to fondly know. "Piper." He corrected himself. "There's......there's nothing more we can do. Your body is too riddled with the cancer to recover now." He bowed his head in shame. He blamed himself for this. His heart pounded, hammering against his rib cage, begging for there to be something he could do.... anything...... A soft hand on his head brought him to look up at her.   
  
"Dr..... Leo, please, don't blame yourself. You've been so good to me, so thoughtful; you put yourself out for me all the time. I can truly say that the last few weeks have been wonderful. Especially given the circumstances." Her every word astounded him. Faced with death, and still she fought it with every breath; did not become a recluse and adorn herself in self pity,   
refused to even cry. Instead she thanked him, the man who couldn't save her? He was in awe at her very being.   
  
"Piper, I don't know what to say..... I'm so very very sorry." He meant every word, his every pore oozed guilt and sorrow and rage at himself.   
  
"You don't need to be." She whispered, drawing heavily on her last reserves of energy for the day. "You don't need to be sorry, because I'm not. Fate works in mysterious ways, Leo. This is my time. One day, yours will come too and nothing anyone does can stop that from happening. I'm a firm believer in reincarnation, Leo. I believe our lives take many paths, but our souls are always alive. You don't need to be sorry, because I'm not, because this is not the end." She smiled at him, a small, sad smile, before her eyes flickered slowly shut.   
  
"Piper?" Leo whispered, feeling for a pulse. Relief washed over him. There it was, weak as always, but regular and there. He drew breath in slowly, trying to calm his racing heart, trying to stop the mental images that flashed through his mind. Coffins, coroners, post mortems...... He shut his eyes and focused on what he knew best; Piper. Her frail hand rested lightly   
in his, and the ward nurse went by unnoticed. He thought back all those months ago, to when he'd first laid eyes on her, her beautiful chestnut hair flowing down her back, her shy eyes darting around the room.   
  
***   
  
"Miss Halliwell?" The young blonde doctor's eyes darted around his waiting room. In the far chair a woman on her mid - twenties rose, corset forcing her to sit up straight. She started towards the door, full floral skirt sifting along the ground, the silence of the hall broken by the light swishing sound of taffeta. She smiled shyly at Leo, before lowering her eyes as he offered his hand and led her into the room. A perfect gentleman as always, he pulled out her chair and allowed her to sit down before doing so himself.   
  
"Miss Halliwell, what seems to be the problem?" the shy woman's eyes darted, unsure, around the room. He smiled reassuringly, and his green eyes comforted her immediately. They held every truth, every ounce of knowledge, experience beyond their years.   
  
"The thing is, Dr. Wyatt...... I haven't been feeling well for a while; a few weeks in fact. At first I suspected I had a touch of influenza, but it hasn't improved with time."   
  
Leo nodded, absorbing the information. "What symptoms have you been showing?"   
  
"Well, I'm tired all the time for one thing. And......" She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a huge purplish bruise adorning her left forearm. Leo gasped.   
  
"How did you do that?" He asked, moving quickly around the heavy mahogany desk to see better.   
  
"I really don't know, " Piper replied, her eyes cast downwards. "I remember banging my arm on the staircase, but not nearly hard enough to cause that size of bruise." Leo brought his hand up under her chin, and raised her face so she looked in his eyes. They were glazed over with tiredness, heavy lids looking as though they would drop at any second.   
  
Leo asked her numerous questions. Have you felt lethargic? Tired? Had aching limbs? She gave a small nod to each, her face calm, oblivious to the potential causes.   
  
Days past and she came back every second day to do more tests. Countless vials of blood were drawn and without fail, she fainted every time, her body too weak to counteract the loss. Leo used it in every test he could think of, doing everything to prove his worst fears wrong. Even with the recommended bed rest and increased consumption of billing's root, Piper   
seemed to get no better and he knew the time had come to tell her what he thought was wrong. He called her into his surgery once more.   
  
"Miss H..." He began. She cut him off.   
  
"If this is serious, Dr. Wyatt, you're going to have to start to call me Piper, because we're going to be seeing a lot of each other and Miss Halliwell is going to get annoying."   
  
In awe at her forwardness, and despite the knowledge of the news he was about to disperse, Leo grinned. "Well, in that case, Leo will be fine." He gasped at his mistake.   
  
"Then it is serious?" He bowed his head, but then forced it up again. She was his patient. It was up to him to tell her properly, not mumble it while scraping his shoes on the floor like a schoolboy.   
  
He crouched down it front of her, no chair available, and looked her straight in the eyes. "We've done every test possible, Piper. Checked all the symptoms numerous times, drawn blood, changed your diet. I'm afraid I can only see one conclusion. She visibly swallowed and hers eyes darted frantically from him to her hands. Whispering in a frightened voice.   
  
"Leo...what's...what's wrong with me?" Her eyes met his, their hearts surged. Why did it have to be something he could do nothing for? Why did this have to happen now? Finally he gathered up the courage to tell her.   
  
"Piper...." He knew he shouldn't but he took her hands in his as a way of comfort. "You..... you have cancer." She gasped, not knowing where to look, not knowing what to say or do. He squeezed her hands tighter and held on to them even more. "I'm so sorry... I assume you know..." she cut him off.   
  
"You can't cure cancer, can you?" Her voice wavered as she looked him square in the eyes, and knew his answer before he told her.   
  
He shook his head sombrely, his eyes cast downward by way of an unspoken apology. "No." The words echoed around the room, filling the empty space. A barrier which he thought would form between them never did, as her eyes met his once again, and the only thing she could think to say escaped her lips.   
  
"How long do I have?" The words entered Leo and shook his very soul. He didn't want to answer that question, didn't want her to know the miniscule amount of time she had left. Her drawn back, taunt eyes searched his for an answer. They found none as he looked away.   
  
"Weeks." he whispered. His skin tingled with her every touch, her heart longed to hold her and reassure her and whisper sweet nothings in her ear. I Why?/I He asked the heavens silently. I Why now?/I He pressed his forehead against hers, drawing on his own reserves of strength and trying to force them on to her in some way. He could fell her shallow breath against his neck, light and sweet and willing him further. Eyes met, hearts surged, souls ached for a further contact.   
  
The haven they formed around themselves was abruptly broken as the duty matron marched in unannounced, stopping quickly as she saw the two so close, foreheads together. They snapped apart at the presence of another, her eyes looking anywhere but his. The nurse cleared her throat and blinked.   
  
"Dr..., Dr. Wyatt, it's quite alright, I can see you're busy, I'll come back some other time." He jumped up, and opened his mouth, trying to explain himself. No words came and he nodded dumbly, as she heavy door creaked slowly shut and the two of them were alone once more. Piper looked guiltily up and Leo and grinned.   
  
"Will you get in trouble? I mean, it's not like we were..." She blushed. "You've just told me I'm dying, I think that's allowed."   
  
His very being hurt at the words..... I'm dying. he tried desperately to maintain some composure. Leo knelt down in front of her and their hands met once again, sending fireworks through them both. "I don't care what Sister Judith thinks, Piper. Are you going to be okay?" He felt like hitting himself. She had cancer, of course she wouldn't be okay. His eyes left hers   
and he tried desperately to focus on something else.   
  
"We couldn't... It wouldn't be........" Her every word caused his heart to skip a beat. His very soul cried out to be near her, and he fought hard against it. An unspoken agreement was reached; they were friends, no more, it would be wrong for there to be anything more. Even so, as she got up to leave, Leo couldn't help but hold her hand to help her up, and as his lips   
brushed it lightly, the two both knew they would never be friends.   
  
~~~  
Let me touch you   
Put my hands on you   
I'll kiss you   
And we'll see things through  
~~~  
  
Two weeks passed and he heard nothing of her. He muddled through his daily activities, seeing patients, sterilising equipment, writing up reports. Keeping himself busy so he would not think of her so much. Every night was spent thinking about her, and every morning he would wake tired and groggy, but she was still always his first thought before anything else. How was she? Was she worse? Better? The same? The questions rattled through his   
mind all day, and more than once he'd called his patient or the duty nurse 'Piper'. She eyed him suspiciously but let it go each time, recognising a true love and knowing it would never be, given the poor girl's condition. Her heart went out to the pair, as fate forced them apart.  
  
Then suddenly, one day, a frantic knocking interrupted the quiet of his surgery, and the duty matron entered, with Piper's arm draped loosely round her shoulders, eyes closed and body limp.   
  
"Piper!" Leo cried, leaping up from his chair where he had been finishing up the last of his reports for the day. His eyes flew to her, his arms wrapped round her weak form and lifted her gently up on to the bed in his surgery. The duty nurse, forgotten as he checked for a pulse, his own racing, she left quietly as the creases in Leo's forehead disappeared. Piper had opened her eyes.   
  
He looked towards and thanked God silently. "Okay, Piper, I'm going to need to take your temperature....." She nodded groggily as he sat her up and placed the thermometer under her tongue, supporting her weight with his own. A minute later he took the probe out her mouth and had to maintain a gasp when he saw the reading. Thirty-nine degrees? He cupped her chin in his hands; his skin tingled with the sense of hers touching his. Her eyes were edged with purple, pupils wide and confused. Skin flaccid and pale, hair limp and straggly, and still to him she was the most beautiful creature his eyes had ever had the pleasure to gaze upon.   
  
"Piper, we're going to have to admit you, to monitor your condition. You're.... " It hurt just to form the words. "You're getting worse."   
  
"I know." came the whispered reply, as she gazed into his eyes. As much as she was hurting from the cancer; it hurt more to be near him and yet so far. "I'm not going home again, am I?" Leo looked deep into her eyes, his arms still around her from behind, supporting her frail, skeletal form.   
  
"No." His heart pounded against his chest, hating the word. How could a life be snatched so easily from the world? How could someone so healthy be reduced to this? Leo picked her up gently and took it upon himself to carry her out of the room, and down the hall to the ward, where he laid her in the most private bed he could find, and made sure a curtain was brought. Hours later when she woke, as the light of dusk filtered through the tall bay windows, still there he was, sitting staring at her, as if he could cure her by simply looking. Silently wishing that it were possible with every uncertain breath she took. Piper silently took his hand in her own and their eyes met once more, hers, tired and drawn back, but still shining bright as she looked at him. His; bright and alert, and shimmering with the fresh tears that neither of them would ever mention.   
  
***   
  
Now, two weeks passed, and he sat in the same spot, holding the same delicate hand, staring at the same beloved face, and nothing had changed. She grew weaker by the day, but still her strength of mind shone through, and his heart burned to think of the time when the end of the day would mean a lonely house and no Piper to hold or comfort. He could see her strength fading, her breath becoming shallower, her skin looser, but still those eyes sparked to life every time he walked into the room. Still they denied their feelings for each other; Leo denied himself the idea of her love or of his love for her, and Piper convinced herself it was not meant to be; she was dying and it would be wrong. Nurses and other patients alike were touched by their gentleness; how they seemed to have the capability to absorb themselves completely in a world of their own, how he spent his every spare waking moment at her side. Her eyes fluttered slowly open once more, and immediately found his.   
  
"Leo." she whispered softly. He smiled and squeezed her hand. "What time is it?"   
  
Leo looked at the grandfather clock in the corner. "Nearly midnight." He replied softly, not wanting wake the other patients.   
  
"You should go home. You'll have to work tomorrow." Her eyes were so full of concern, it made him to cry. His voice cracked as he replied.   
  
"I'm... I'm not going anywhere, Piper. You're a friend...a good friend." He explained, both knowing they were much more than friends.   
  
"How much longer, Leo?"   
  
He swallowed the ever-persistent lump in his throat. "Hours, maybe." Her pale face was so calm, even at the thought of having only hours to live. He loved her even more.   
  
"Thank you, Leo. Thank you for everything you've done. You've been so...." The first tear he ever saw Piper cry rolled slowly down her cheek. "Wonderful."   
  
She gasped for breath. "Piper!" He exclaimed urgently. "Piper, stay with me!" Her eyes looked into his.   
  
"I can't Leo. It's my time."   
  
"No, Piper!" he yelled, the other patients forgotten in his grief. Those eyes he loved so much gazed upon him one last time, and she uttered the words she had longed to say for so long.   
  
"I love you." Leo fell to his knees, knowing there was nothing he could do but comfort her in her final moments.   
  
"I love you too. With all my heart." Tears flowed freely down his cheeks. Her eyes flickered shut one last time, her final breath drawn, her last words spoken. Leo gazed upon her beauty, upon the women he loved with all his heart, and his soul cried out. The love and pain collided head on, and through the blur of the room as his eyes filled with tears, his fingers closed around the golden cross that she held in her hand. He picked it up gently, his vision altered, the tears streaming down his cheeks.   
  
"Please...Piper..." He shook her lightly, knowing it was pointless, knowing she was gone. He had never allowed himself to love her, not properly, and only now could he feel the full extent of that love, in its pureness spilling over his cheeks as tears. Overwhelmed with grief, he stumbled out of the room, thoughts rushing through his head as he clasped the cross tightly in his hand, a last memory of Piper playing out in his mind.   
  
~~~  
You are silenced by your memory  
And if I lose you  
I lose a part of me  
~~~  
  
Leo blundered through the ward doors, along the corridors, out of that place that was so full of her; her scent hung in the air, her belongings were neatly arranged on the shelf. His heart ached, his mind whirled, his tears fell as a torrent of sadness, grief and self-blame. As Leo crashed through the exit doors of the hospital, his tears and the heavy rain falling, he never saw the horse and carriage drawing away from the curb. It hit him head on, knocking him to the ground, blinding him as his head cracked against the hard tarmac. His last words were uttered, before the horses reared in fright, their hooves unwittingly landing heavily on the young doctor, his spine splintered and skull crushed under the enormous pressure.   
  
"I love you, Piper."   
  
Nurses cried, doctors mourned the loss of a colleague; his parents were overcome with grief. However, through the double tragedy, all those who had seen the two together could manage a small smile and knew in their hearts that it could not have been any other way. A sense of rightness filled them as they realised just how far his love for her stretched, as when the young Dr. Wyatt's shattered body was finally lifted, a small flash of gold fell from his hand. On closer inspection a friend found it to be a small gold cross with the initial 'P' engraved into it.   
  
They were buried side by side, sharing a head stone, as they had shared a secret love. Their souls once again together then parted, they were reborn, the eternal chance to try and find happiness granted.  
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
It ended...1899  



	5. A Betraying Of The Heart

  
A Betraying of the Heart  
  
Reborn...1899  
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
Daniel sat at the grand piano, his fingers moving effortlessly across the keys; music filling the ears of the many guests that had gathered in the manor. He searched the room for his wife, scanning through every perceivable gap for any sign of her. She would disappear for hours, talking amongst her friends or busying herself with preparing dishes to serve. Then she would rush to Daniel, kiss his cheek and compliment his performance before again, slipping into the crowds. Some would dare to place scepticism in Daniel's mind; filling his ears with suspicious gossip about Piper and the mysterious, blond haired stranger. But Daniel refused to believe such idle rumours, insisting firmly that he trusted his wife and would know if she had been unfaithful. He was content to watch the celebrations continue, sitting to the side and letting his fingers do the talking as they created the music echoing through the room.  
  
Oblivious to Daniel, Piper and Leo, the mysterious stranger, had met outside the manor, hidden from any prying eyes by thick bushes. "That music is hideous." Leo commented quickly when he first spotted Piper, weaving through the plants.  
  
"Only to your ears." Piper grinned, allowing Leo to pull her into his body and meet her lips with his.  
  
"I've missed you." He whispered to her ear. "Where have you been? You've missed our last two meetings."  
  
Piper eyes fell downcast and her stomach churned, before Leo tipped her chin up with his index finger. "I'm sorry." Piper murmured, reaching for his hands and gripping them.  
  
"What is it Piper? Don't tell me your idiotic husband has finally discovered your extra curricular activities?" Leo pressed, unable to keep a smile from his face.  
  
"Leo don't, please. This is serious." Piper stated, waiting for his eyes to meet hers.  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm listening. What is it?" His words were full of sincerity and only made the words she dreaded to say even more difficult to form  
  
"We can't keep doing this Leo." Piper began, taking a deep hesitant breath.  
  
"Yes we can." Leo interrupted, breaking into a grin again, assuming this was a joke of some kind.  
  
"No. We can't do this any more. I can't keep doing this."  
  
"I don't understand Piper. What's happened to change your mind?" Leo finally questioned after a few moments of silence, feeling his life being drawn away as she pulled back, her eyes wavering from his, not daring to meet them for fear she'd change her mind   
  
"Nothing has happened. I just don't want to be living a lie."  
  
"I love you. You know that right? This isn't just an affair Piper, you're meant to be with me, not Daniel." Leo pleaded.  
  
"And that's the exact reason why we can't do this. I love you Leo. Tens times more than I love my husband, but I will not leave him. If things were different...a separate time, altered circumstances...we could be together." Piper answered, tears welling in her eyes and threatening to fall.  
  
"You'll never be happy."  
  
"I know." Single tears slipped down her cheeks and she leant her forehead to rest on his chest.  
  
~~~  
Let me touch you   
Put my hands on you   
I'll kiss you   
And we'll see things through  
~~~  
  
Leo took a deep breath and allowed her words to sink in, accepting she was saying them for herself and not to hurt him, forcing himself to accept this new reality where she would no longer be his. Finally words came to him. "Just once more Piper. Let me give you my all, just one more time."   
  
"Leo?"   
  
"When we see each other across the street or in the city or wherever we may be, I want to remember you Piper, not this moment. I want to remember what it felt like to hold you in my arms and make love to you; I want to remember how love could give me more than just the pain of losing you." Leo's voice wavered and Piper choked on a sob, reaching up to wrap her hands around his neck and crying into his shoulder.   
  
"Yes." She gasped simply. "Just one more time."   
  
The tears were still falling down Piper's cheeks as they slipped away unnoticed, tracing the familiar route to Leo's small home. Leo slowly and deliberately kissed and caressed his love, purposely delaying the inevitable, trying to remember her every touch, the feel of her body beneath his. They eventually succumbed and joined together as one for the final time, and   
allowed these memories, perfect in each other's arms, to replace the ones of sadness and heartache. Minutes passed, neither one wanting to break apart for a final time, knowing when it happened that the perfection they had found would be lost, and two hearts would be broken. Eventually Piper withdrew herself from the comfort of Leo's safe hold, redressed and silently left, not needing words to ruin the memory that would be forever theirs.   
  
***  
  
The days and weeks that followed were ones of eternal pain and heartache, Piper being forced to suffer in silence amid a one-sided marriage. She convinced Daniel that she was unwell, insisting she needed rest and not a doctor. It gave her an excuse not to be intimate with Daniel as she came to accept the decision she knew was right but one she would never forgive herself for.  
  
The weeks dragged into months and Piper returned to her marital duties, absent-mindedly providing for Daniel's needs, her mind always straying to Leo. It was four months before Piper finally accepted what she'd known for at least two and tearfully began to tell Daniel.  
  
"Dan. I need to speak with you about something." She stated quietly, walking into his office and interrupting his work.  
  
"Of course Piper. What is it?" Daniel immediately stopped working and turned his full attention to Piper.  
  
"You're going to be happy." She forced a smile despite the lump that persisted in her throat.  
  
"I am?"   
  
"Yes." Piper whispered nodding, taking a deep breath. "You will, after all, soon have that child you desire so much."  
  
Daniel's eyes widened and his face broke into a grin. "You're pregnant?"   
  
"Yes." Piper nodded, squeezing her eyes shut when he rushed to embrace her.  
  
"Finally Piper. This is such good news." He stated, kneeling to place a kiss to her ever so slightly swollen abdomen. "I love you so much."  
  
"I love you too." Piper replied automatically, the word love no longer carrying any meaning.  
  
"How far along are you?" Daniel asked innocently.  
  
"About four months." Piper answered, holding her breath as Daniel looked up at her.  
  
"This is incredible." He smiled, standing to hug and kiss her again.   
  
"I know." Piper agreed, sharing the same amazement, but for far different reasons.  
  
***  
  
Just days later, Piper stood nervously at the front door to Leo's, her heart racing and mind in chaos. She didn't know the reason why she was standing there; she just had to see Leo. To look into his eyes and search for some meaning to this life she'd created for herself.   
  
"Hello." Piper said shyly, Leo answering the door and staring at her, shocked and literally speechless.  
  
"Piper." He muttered a few seconds later, reaching out with his fingers to touch her cheeks as if convincing himself that she was real. He had seen her a few times in town, walking down the street her hand always resting on Daniel's arm. They had shared a brief glance before deliberately avoiding each other or pretending that they hadn't made eye contact. "What are you doing here?" He finally asked, noticing Piper's trembling hands out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"I just...I don't know Leo. I wanted to see you."  
  
"Is anything wrong? Are you okay?" Leo switched in protective mode, noticing for the first time the dark rings that shadowed her eyes and the redness that rimmed them.  
  
"Yes." Piper replied hesitantly, but she was anything but convincing.   
  
Stepping back from the door, Leo held it open and silently invited her in. Piper gave a sheepish glance back at the road and slipped inside, overcome with the familiar house and the strong feelings that accompanied it. "Are you sure you're alright Piper?" Leo asked again, resting his hand on her back when she stared tearfully at a collage of photo's Leo had created of them.  
  
Sighing deeply and pausing for what seemed an eternity, Piper finally stared at her feet and whispered. "No."  
  
"What is it? Has Daniel hurt you?" Leo pressed, pulling her around to face him and tipping her chin up. "Piper please? You're scaring me." He added, when tears began to fall down her cheeks.  
  
"You have no idea of what we've done." Piper shook her head, resisting his touch and pulling away. "I'm pregnant Leo. With your baby."  
  
"Are you sure?" Leo questioned, his eyes widened in complete shock.  
  
"I'm certain Leo and it's definitely yours."  
  
Leo stared back at her, letting his eyes drift to her stomach. "I don't know what you want me to say Piper. Will I be a part of this child's life?"  
  
"No. I wanted you to know Leo, but I have to raise this baby as Daniel's." Piper hung her head, suddenly ridden with guilt.  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
"Yes." Piper nodded.  
  
"He thinks that it is his?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I don't know why you came here Piper. You tell me that I have fathered a child and then you want me to hand all privileges over to a man I despise? I think you should leave."  
  
Piper took a few steps towards the door and turned back to him, forcing herself to speak with a hesitant voice. "I'm sorry." She murmured softly, her heavy heart exposing how genuine her words were.  
  
Leo shook his head sadly. "If you wanted to hurt me Piper..." He trailed off as his voice broke, pausing a few seconds before continuing. "Then you've more than succeeded."  
  
He walked away then, back into his house where loneliness stared back at him from every angle. The walls held no framed pictures of family members and the many rooms would never hear children play. The other side of his bed would always be empty and his tender heart would never heal.   
  
~~~  
I am here now   
You've got the best of me   
So go ahead now   
Take the rest of me  
~~~  
  
Months passed slowly and painfully, Piper becoming weaker and more miserable with every passing hour. Daniel catered her few desires, a little water, a warm room and countless hours to herself. They didn't bask in the beauty of pregnancy and Daniel's attempts at comfort were barely acknowledged let alone accepted.   
  
At 36 weeks, Piper was laying in bed by the window, watching intently for the daily sign of her true love when a contraction tore through her body and shuddered her soul. It wasn't a small introduction to a long labour, more a sudden and determined scream for release. With the second one just a few minutes later, Daniel rushed into their room in reaction to Piper's deathly call.  
  
"Are you alright Piper? What's happening?" Daniel questioned in a rush, his haste ignoring the obvious.  
  
"The baby...coming..." Piper gasped out between tears and clenched teeth.  
  
"It's too early."  
  
"It doesn't know that!" Piper screamed back, her pale face flushing with heat as a wave of nausea overcame her.  
  
"I'll call the midwife." Daniel muttered, rushing out of the room; leaving Piper frantically struggling to force air in and out of her lungs.  
  
In the few minutes it took him to order someone to retrieve the midwife, Piper had fallen deeper into a state of no return. Her vision had clouded and she stared out the window in a silent plea for repentance from her sins. God was punishing her for boring the illegitimate child of a scandalous love affair. "Piper?" Daniel's words couldn't penetrate the world that Piper had retreated to, a place where agonising physical and emotional pain would never reach her.  
  
Daniel continued to do everything in his power to bring Piper back, whispering words of love and gently touching her. His innocent actions did nothing but force Piper further away, the abandoned streets providing more comfort than her husband. Amongst the blur of events, the midwife arrived, ignoring Piper's condition and letting nature force her to push the baby into the world. Slipping between consciousness and unconsciousness, the child appeared, undeveloped, deformed and lifeless. Out on the street, Piper's eyes met Leo's where he stood staring up at the window, his heart bleeding for what his soul knew was happening. Inside of him, his heart ached and his limbs felt lifeless - his soul mate was dying. Painfully, slowly and with her entire body racked with guilt - she submitted to the inevitable and let the angels carry her and her daughter to the heavens.  
  
Barely an hour later, in a dirty and debris filled river, Leo's body was found. Washed up on the shore with his skin wrinkled and body limp; he was carried away. Two broken hearts lay together in the morgue, side by side, two halves finally making a whole through tragedy. Their child, whose soul would forever dance in the heaven's, having been borne of such love; lay atop her mother's chest.   
  
~~~  
There are two of us  
It's the cycle of our souls  
~~~  
  
It ended...1924  



	6. A Soldier's Jealousy

A Soldier's Jealousy  
  
Reborn....1924   
  
"AAAAAARRGGHHHHHHHHH!" the wounded soldier's cries of utter horror echoed eerily through the tent. Not one person winced anymore - the screams and cries blending into the fabric of the tent, drowned by so many others and the constant gunfire just metres away. The dead still lay on the floor where they had died, the living had beds if there were enough, and the medics, doctors and nurses rushed around, the entire tent in complete chaos. Soldiers sat untreated for hours as more pressing casualties arrived one after the other, each needing immediate attention.   
  
"I promise, George...you're next!" the young blond doctor called out to a young man as he and several others lifted a screaming soldier with a large amount of shrapnel embedded in his stomach. He hollered in pain every time he was moved, and as the doctors and nurses rushed around him, dressing the wound and removing shrapnel, his cries did not cease. Finally after what seemed like hours, his frantic screams died down, becoming frightened   
whimpers and whispers, his body no longer able to keep up such a level of adrenaline.   
  
"Piper, keep an eye on him, okay?" the young doctor asked a nearby nurse, his eyes shining as they met hers.   
  
Piper smiled slightly, memories flooding back, and replied. "Of course, Leo." His eyes remained fixed on her trim figure, long chestnut hair trailing down her back, far longer than they should have, and Leo only tore his eyes away at the frantic shouting from the tent entry   
  
"I'll be right there George, " he answered, a last glance shared before he turned to the young man at the door, whose shoulder had been grazed with a bullet. Even so, he could feel her eyes on his back, following his kind words and gentle actions, mesmerised. Memories of so many nights engulfed them both, each other's sweet breath teasing along jaw lines, when lips   
finally met, gentle kisses shared, each unique and special. Memories made, hands explored, every pore found and known. Her wedding band, discarded for their time together, glinting in the candle light. A husband forgotten, an enemy denied. A love that knew no boundaries, and one which was surrounded by them and could not be called love now, she knew. What she felt for Daniel was nothing to that she felt for Leo, his kisses were so restrained, his hand   
more than once blunt across her cheek, followed by immediate apologies, none of which could rectify the damage. Not once had Leo touched with anything but the utmost respect and softness, his hands lightly in her own, his body pressed against hers. Love and hate are two very similar emotions, each based on passion, the line separating them thin and hidden.   
  
But with Daniel so preoccupied in the war, constantly fighting, she thankfully rarely saw him. When he did return late at night, she pretended to be asleep, or if she was still out, "There was another casualty," she would whisper innocently on her return, the hours of happiness just exchanged with Leo still playing through her mind. His arms wrapped tightly around her   
waist, gentle showers of kisses pressed gently into her skin, her heart racing with every breath, his evident too through the mere layers of skin that separated their very hearts. On the rare occasions that it was certain Daniel would not return, they would lie together all night, his hands on her abdomen, warming her very soul, his head pressed into her hair, breathing in it's addictive scent with every breath.   
  
~~~  
Would you lay with me   
Would you lay with me   
Til the sun peaks through the blinds   
~~~  
  
***   
  
Piper's eyes drifted slowly open, the frantic sound of a buzzer of some kind forcing her awake. Beside her Leo stirred unwillingly, before each eye peaked open slowly, the grin across his face that formed whenever he saw her, fading rapidly as the major casualty buzzer droned menacingly in his ears.   
  
"Oh god!" he cried, leaping out of the warmth of the bed and her arms as he raced to find the discarded clothes from last night and pulled them on quickly. She watched his muscular back disappear under the blood stained shirt, and he ran his fingers through his hair, a plan forming.   
  
"Okay, you stay here for a couple of minutes after I've gone. Then, follow up; come to the tent. This is big." Leo checked his pockets, feeling for emergency gauze and bandages that he knew would be virtually impossible to find once he reached the medic tent. Satisfied he was as prepared as the chaos of the war allowed him to be, he took one last look as his love, her hair tousled with sleep, eyes darting around the room before finding his. In the early morning light, as the sun rose slowly over the horizon, he found himself unable to shake off the feeling of dread welling up within him. His hand found her cheek, stroking it's softness, a moment of utter happiness found amid the wreck of war. Kissing her lips, he tried desperately to convey his emotions to her, knowing that words could not express it fully. Yet he said them anyway, needing to, needing to her the words spill out of his mouth, unable to stop them, his very emotions dictating his every move and thought.   
  
"I love you, Piper. Too much for you to ever know." His eyes said it all, she could feel his warm breath on her ear as he whispered the words she knew were truer than any Daniel had ever spoken to her.   
  
"I love you too." The words were whispered, meant, for eternity. Their eyes met, both knowing this was not an ordinary day. The emergency bell grew louder and more frantic, and Leo looked behind him, out the window, the tent in the distance a place he didn't want to go to. With one last long look at Piper, he backed slowly out the door of their secluded hut.   
  
"Two minutes." She nodded. His blood covered white coat disappeared as the door banged shut, the cold draft causing her to shiver, and pull the blankets closer to her. Forcing them down, she slowly got up and pulled on the clothes she could well have done without as long as she lived, if Daniel wasn't around, and the war was over, if everything was different. If only she and Leo could be together as they were supposed to. Her nurse's watch declared two minutes had passed unknowingly, and she grabbed her coat and raced out the door, knowing that the sooner she reached the hospital tent, the sooner she could once again see Leo.   
  
~~~  
I am here now   
You've got the best of me   
So go ahead now   
Take the rest of me  
~~~  
  
"Okay, put him in...." Leo's voice trailed off as he realised there was not a single free space to put the injured soldier in the entire tent. He directed the medics holding outside, where they lay him on the ground, as Leo checked the man's pulse. He had known the truth without feeling, and shook his head sadly as more blood oozed out of the large hole in the soldier's side. Leo took off his own coat and laid it over him, remembering the man who had come   
into the tent just days ago, desperate to get back out to the field, to fight for his country. "I'm sorry George." He whispered just loud enough so he himself could hear it.   
  
Suddenly above all the commotion there was a nearby cry of, "...medic!" Leo whipped around, to find himself staring into the cold steely eyes of none other than Daniel, Piper's husband. A huge gash adorned the man's cheek but even as the blood ran down and into his slightly opened mouth, the man showed no pain, trying to act the brave soldier, despite the cries of anguish from all around him. Leo hated him more with every breath.   
  
"Soldier, someone will see to you in a minute. There are more pressing casualties than yours at present." It was true, and not just words of hatred; the early morning air was filled with the screams of those dying, the cries of the injured. If Daniel wasn't in pain, Leo wasn't going to attend to him first.   
  
Then suddenly there was Piper, acting the dutiful wife, gently turning Daniel's chin so a shadow did not lie across his cheek.   
  
Acting, Leo reminded himself. Acting. Her eyes deliberately avoided his as he handed her a small piece of gauze. Tingles shot through both of them as their fingers touched, sending sparks spiralling through their bodies. Dangerous ground was found where a man and a woman could not hide their innermost feelings. Daniel watched them both, confused, as the blood seeped slowly down the front of his camouflage shirt, a river flowing unnoticed. Leo and Piper simply stared at each other, his eyes finding hers among the chaos, her hand still touching his amid the confusion and screaming. Daniel was a forgotten prospect, a man who no longer mattered. Leo had known this day would come, ever since he had first laid eyes on her more than six months previous. For so long love at first sight was a myth, and then in one day his whole approach to life changed as he watched her with every breath. Piper had been amid a wreck of a marriage, a violent husband, a difficult job. Leo turned all that around, he made her get up early in the morning so to see him once more, made her open her eyes to all the possibilities life held. And even with Daniel's cold eyes calculating more of the affair each   
second, he could not tear his eyes from her, nor she from him.   
  
"Leo..." He silenced her with a finger to her lips, her next words known already.   
  
As he looked at them, this man's hand on his wife's cheek, caressing it, their eyes so locked on each other, the rage inside Daniel grew and he allowed it to. Who was this, how long had this been going on? Every time she was late, had she been with him? The questions rattled over and over in his mind, until his rage was finally released.   
  
His hand gentle on her face, his body heat radiating through her. His hot breath formed as vapour in the early morning cold. His green eyes telling her everything she needed to know.   
  
His hand slamming bluntly into her cheek, not in a drunken rage, but in a pure release of hatred, of a man's wounded pride. The pain seared through her, knocking her off her feet. Around her the cries of the dying had faded, their frantic calls for a nurse not heard, all she knew was the tenderness of Leo and the hatred she felt for Daniel. His cold grey eyes stared at her, lost in the hatred boiling within him. Leo's warm green ones did the same, love for her pouring out of them in equal quantities as his detest of Daniel erupted, with his violence towards Piper the last straw. Leo drew his fist back, teeth clenched, eyes sparking, and hit Daniel squarely on the nose, sending him reeling backwards in shock.   
  
But it soon passed and Daniel was upon him, kicking and hitting and shouting obscene language at both Leo and Piper. As a soldier, he was far stronger than Leo, and soon had the upper hand as Piper could only stand by watch helplessly. Every soldier she tried to entail to stop them looked into Daniel's hard steel eyes and scarpered, shouting excuses. Piper's hand rubbed her cheek hopelessly, as she watched the two men brawling in the   
centre of the field of dying men.   
  
"You fucking bastard!" But the words meant nothing, conveyed nothing of the pure form of utter detest that was brewing inside of Daniel. Leo, seeing his chance, scrambled to his feet, his eyes catching Piper's; a silent plea of love heard. His hands dragged him up, and he was running, limping, away from Daniel's deathly hold.   
  
Leo ran to what he knew best next to Piper - a casualty unattended amid the battle that still continued. He fell to his knees beside the man, realising too late there was nothing he could do.   
  
Piper followed his lead and stood fearfully beside the ill, as she watched Dan reach into his pocket. What was he doing? Suddenly his hand reappeared, revolver clutched menacingly. Piper's eyes darted between her husband and the man she loved, her mind finally comprehending what was going on. She began running, her legs unwilling to work, each foot that landed taking her closer to Leo, to stopping Daniel. Her feet pounded on the dusty ground, sending spirals of dirt into the air, her every thought focused on the two men in her life. Just metres ahead of her Daniel took aim, as Leo crouched over the soldier, praying Daniel had forgotten, his back to the man.   
  
A finger clasped around the trigger on the revolver, it's black crudeness glinting. Daniel's eyes were empty; blood seeped slowly from his cheek, each drop an adrenaline boast. As she watched in utter horror, unable to stop him in time, a shot erupted in the morning air, interrupting the cries and screams. Silence washed over her as the bullet whizzed though the air, gaining speed with every second, it's metal form moving too fast to be seen anymore. Her entire being sobbing with grief at the impending tragedy, she screamed the only word she could think of in a vain attempt to save her only love.   
  
"NO!" Leo's head whipped around a millisecond too late, as the bullet of hatred sped towards him, the inevitable now unavoidable. His eyes met Piper's one last time, as hers filled with tears, his form blurred as the bullet struck his back. It tore through the coat that held the blood of so many others, shooting through his skin, severing his spine and central nervous   
system. His eyes blackened, her form gone, her collapsing body his last sight. He slumped over the dead soldier, a fitting tribute to the man who always put others before himself. It was over, as Piper's shaking body and cries of sorrow and grief echoed louder than any other's which filled the tent and field. A lover's cry for her lover; a soul's cry for a soul. A jealous man's revenge sought and found. Soul mates were torn from each other once again.   
  
She ran over to him, he made no attempt to stop her, his eyes simply following her form, the knowledge she would never recover satisfaction itself. His back turned to her and walked slowly into the medic tent, the event going by unnoticed as more and more casualties piled up.   
  
"Leo!" she cried frantically, a storm of tears spilling down her cheeks as she choked on the words. The blood flowed out of the wound, as she turned him over, knowing it was over, knowing he was gone. His hair was still tousled from their last time together, his eyes were still open, though their warmth gone, their presence vacated. She placed her hand over them as her tears fell on him, so they rolled down his cheeks too. His eyes closed, she opened hers once more, sealing this image, as he lay peacefully in her arms, forever in her mind. Her lips pressed to his once more, a final goodbye, a final declaration of love before soldiers and medics swarmed around her, realising the result of the shot fired.   
  
~~~  
Let me touch you   
Put my hands on you   
I'll kiss you   
And we'll see things through  
~~~  
  
Piper left her post as head nurse, returned to America, never to see Daniel again, her wedding band still glinting in the candlelight of the hut she and Leo shared, never to be worn again. Leo's body was returned to his family, in San Francisco, and she visited the grave only once, as she reached her 49th birthday in 1973. Still the tears of grief rolled down her cheek, as the memories of so many nights together flooded back to her, the memories she had denied herself so many times before. She could still feel his eyes on her, his hands held in hers, his soft breath on the small of her back. A letter placed at his grave, saying everything she needed to say, a final glance at the headstone. Not three days later she was found dead, her body riddled with cancer, left untreated for months.   
  
~~~  
Leo,   
  
I have missed you for so long, your touch, your beautiful eyes, your comforting words. I know my time is soon, I can feel it drawing near. I have lived these years alone; I left Daniel, for you. That day on the field left me empty, as without you I am no one. I know you would say otherwise, but I cannot feel complete unless you are holding me, whispering in my ear,   
your hot breath warming me. Now I am coming, to be with you, I hope, eventually. I'll wait for you Leo, no matter how long it takes, I know we were meant to be together and we will find a way someday, somehow, if not in this lifetime then the next. But I just can't save myself.   
  
  
So I write these lines  
Metaphors and rhymes  
Till I think of something else  
Is there really nothing else?   
  
  
I'll love you forever Leo   
  
Piper   
~~~  
  
Their souls parted, their lives torn apart, a life that should have been spent together but struggled through alone. Once again they were reborn; another chance to find each other and hold on to the happiness that should be. Because soul mates will never rest until they can do so together.   
  
He died...1942   
  
She died...1973  
  
  



	7. An Angel Found

An Angel Found   
  
As an angel he waited from...1942  
  
She was reborn...1973  
  
"Mommy's...dead?" the little girl asked fearfully. Her grandmother nodded, eyes red rimmed, tears no longer spilling only for the sake of her granddaughter. Piper, aged four and eleven months, understood perfectly what the word meant, as it sank over her and she unconsciously formed a barrier against any real love entering ever again, mentally protecting her from the hurt she felt at that point ever being allowed to touch her again. No tears fell, not then, as she smiled a small smile and walked up the stairs from the lounge, and up to her bedroom.   
  
The little girl heaved open the heavy wooden door, taking it's awkwardness and weight compared to hers in her own time, until her patience paid off as it swung open. Piper pushed it with all her might and finally it closed, shutting off the rest of the world, her Grams and her sisters, who's quiet sobs echoed though the house. Her hands pulled her up on to her bed, where she sat cross-legged, the consequences of that morning racing through her head. Who would look after them now? Who would read to her at night, kiss her better when she fell? A lump formed in Piper's throat as she realised as much as she ever would that things were changed forever. This was irreversible, Mommy wasn't coming back, Daddy was already gone. A small sob escaped her lips as the true reality of life dawned on her young mind, dwarfing her and causing her to draw her legs up to her chest, as her pigtails hung limply in front of her face. The world went on, and somewhere her mother's lifeless form lay. In the mind of a four year old a greater knowledge lay, a greater understanding of the cruelty of life than many adults would ever dream to achieve.   
  
***   
  
Her small hand pushed the yellow truck around the lawn, ripping through the grass and small weeds that lined the path up to the front door. Piper's brown hair was tucked behind her ears, her black dress was chosen, her teeth brushed and shoes found. Still memories crowded her little head, it was too much to handle, her mother's soft cheek against Piper's own, her small hand tucked exactly into her larger one. Her smiling face as the sisters made cookies. The truck forgotten, Piper sat calmly on the bottom step up to the manor, as she felt her cheeks become wet with tears. She brushed them away. She didn't want to cry, not now. She wanted to be brave, to be strong, for her Grams and her sisters. Absorbed in her own world of perfect days gone forever, the little girl did not notice as the blue lights twinkled behind   
her, all merging to form a young man.   
  
Leo looked sadly at the tiny girl, alone on the step, her world torn apart. Barely old enough to go to school, and already so much to handle that she shouldn't have to. With the Elders blessing he orbed down, unsure what he was going to say but confident she would guide him. He spoke softly, as she dragged her sleeve across her face, the tears absorbed into the velvet fabric.   
  
"It's okay to cry, Piper." He whispered. Her face turned towards him cautiously, every person in her life now under suspicion. Was he going to leave her too?   
  
"Who are you?" She asked quietly, drawing back from the blonde man.   
  
"I..." He replied, holding out his hand to her, "...am your angel."   
  
"Angel?" She questioned, still unsure. "How do you know my name then?"   
  
"Because I'm your angel so it's my job to know your name. My name's Leo."   
  
In her head Piper processed this information and stored it away. "I don't deserve an angel." She turned away from him, his heart cried for her. Of all the people in the world, he could think of anyone who deserved an angel more than Piper Halliwell. He walked towards her and took her hand, sitting down on the bottom step so not to tower over her. When he sat he was just the same height as Piper standing, so his eyes met hers exactly. They smiled   
into hers.   
  
"You deserve an angel, because you are an angel. That's what your Mommy told me." She watched his lips as they moved, and moved her legs over his so she sat on his lap, head resting against his chest.   
  
"Mommy?" her thumb was in her mouth, she was suddenly allowed to be a child again. Her heart slowed as the safety of his hold comforted her.   
  
"Yup. She said you're a very special girl. She's in heaven, Piper. That's where the angels are."   
  
"Like you." Leo nodded, he had known she would understand, her very being radiating with wisdom beyond her years, forced to grow up faster than she should have, in a scary world were parents were unreliable people and growing up was hard at best.   
  
"Can Mommy come visit me too?" Her words shook his very soul. He stroked her hair softly, and answered her with the truth.   
  
"Maybe, Piper, though probably not till a long time from now. When you're older maybe. But you can visit her if you want."   
"I can?" Her bright eyes, cheeks tear stained, met his again; hope dancing in front of him in the form of a person. Leo was in awe of her bravery.   
  
"Uh huh. In dreams you can visit each other all the time. You're never alone Piper. You've got your Grams and your sisters; they love you so much. And don't ever say you don't deserve an angel. Don't ever blame yourself." He hugged her tiny form tighter; he could feel her trembling against his frame.   
  
"Will you visit me too Leo?"   
  
"Sure I will. But not often, Piper, I can't come often. For the next few days I'll be around lots to help you, but then not for a while. But, I'll come back, I promise."   
  
"Mommy promised she'd come back." His heart surged at her pitiful words, feeling all the hurt she bottled up.   
  
"Mommy couldn't help it, Piper, she didn't mean not to come back. She loves you so much, you and Prue and Phoebe."   
  
"How do I know you'll come back?" Leo thought over her question, searching his mind for an idea to provide her with some security in a life empty of any. Suddenly an idea came to him, and he drew back his arms from the little girl to pull his dog tags from around his neck.   
  
"This..." He handed the silvery shininess to her. "..is my favourite necklace, and I never give it to anyone. "But...." he placed them around her neck and tucked the tags underneath the fabric of her dress, "I'm gonna lend them to you, because I know you'll look after them properly." Piper nodded her agreement. "And then soon I'll be back to get them, I promise. Then when I leave again, I'll give them to you again, so you know I'll be back soon. Okay?" he asked softly, as her hand felt for the dog tags underneath the black velvet. The cold metal against her skin caused her to shiver, and Leo placed his arms around her again, desperate to block out all the pain and confusion, willing time to reverse itself so the poor girl could have a mother again. But the day continued, the seconds passed.   
  
"You have to leave don't you?" her tiny voice whispered. She had known, he thought. Of course she knew; she was Piper. He rested his chin on top of her head and nodded.   
  
"I'm sorry Piper." He whispered. She drew her head away from his chest so brown met green once more.   
  
"It's okay. Coz you'll be back."   
  
"I'll be there Piper, at the church. You won't be able to see me, but I'll be there, I promise. Will you be okay?"   
  
Piper, all of four years, eleven months and two days, drew herself away from her new friend and spoke one simple word. "Yes." She watched as the blue lights, smile and safety, disappeared. From inside the house her Gram's voice called her gently.   
  
"Piper, honey, it's time." She slowly walked up the steps, her shiny black shoes conquering them one at a time, as her hand rested on the necklace hidden beneath velvet, and she allowed the memories of her mother to flood in, loving each one.   
  
~~~  
We can stay right here   
Till our heads are clear   
We can lose all track of time   
You are silenced by your memory   
~~~  
  
The church seemed huge, too crowded with people, but Piper kept her head held high as she and her sisters approached the large wooden box with caution. Beside it was a huge framed picture of her mother, holding all three of them on her lap, four grins radiating out, happiness which now seemed so far away. Piper reached up and stroked her mother's two dimensional face, wishing she could do so for real, and not just a photograph, as tears which she had   
denied herself previously formed and fell as rivers of sadness down the motherless girl's cheeks. Not yet five, and already she knew the feeling of being alone in a crowd.   
  
Blue lights hovered in a corner of the church, too high up for anyone to notice, as Leo watched the crowds of black hats and well wishers sweep up the little girl, before her grief overcame her and she slid to the floor, leaning against the coffin, tears echoing through the church as her hand went to her face, burying her eyes within herself. His heart went out to her, so let down by almost everyone in her life. She was picked gently up by Prue, who led her sobbing sister back to the front pew of the church, not a single tear falling from her own eyes.   
  
The service went quickly, Penny spoke briefly and Piper simply stared into nothingness, wishing her memories of her mother to never disappear. She was so afraid they would, along with those her father, caught up in a war with her memory that she would never win. Leo watched her from above, wishing he too could hold her hand as Prue was doing, wipe away the tears that he wished wouldn't fall. As the procession led the way out to the cemetery, he caught Penny's arm as she held tight on to her granddaughters, cheeks red and blotchy. At the sight of Leo, Piper's eyes lit up brighter than they had in three days.   
  
"Penny....." The older woman eyed him suspiciously. He whispered in the woman's ear as friends and relatives milled around them. "I'm Leo, I'm ...their whitelighter, Penny." He answered the unasked question quickly. "Can I look after Piper for a bit?" he looked down at the little girl who clung to his leg tightly and smiled softly. The tears still coursed down her cheeks, her little mind still swam with so many worries, each bringing a thousand   
more. "I don't think she can handle much more."   
  
Penny looked at the young man before her, and down at her second youngest granddaughter, whose body was relaxed for the first time in days and whose eyes held a slight glimmer of the brightness they so missed. Prue held tightly to little Phoebe beside her, eyeing the stranger cautiously, but Penny knew that he was right. Piper was taking this so to heart, trying to deal with it all by herself. She smiled her blessing, and leant down slowly to Piper.   
  
"Piper, do you want to stay here with Leo?" The four year old nodded, brushing her bangs out of her face as her chestnut eyes met her Gram's. The two kissed, a barrier that had been put up slowly disintegrating. Penny cupped Piper's cheek in her hand, taking in her every feature, seeing the Patty in her already. "We'll be back soon honey." She took Prue's hand and knelt down to pick up a tired and confused Phoebe, and made to follow the procession of mourning friends and family.   
  
Leo watched them leave, than knelt down to Piper, whose fresh tears he wiped away as she pulled his dog tags from around her head and touchingly placed them back around his.   
  
"You came back." She stated simply, hugging him, hugging the only person she could truly be herself with right now. His arms wrapped around her tightly, her every word astonishing him, amazing him with her strength of mind.   
  
"I don't break promises." He whispered, and held out his arms for her to jump into. With her form clinging to him tightly, he walked slowly though the green of the cemetery, looking for a bench away from everyone, where she could talk to him if she wished. Finally he found a spot, hidden from the graves underneath a weeping willow tree, in the shade. Piper scrambled down from his hold and sat down lightly, so her feet dangled high above the   
ground, her shining black shoes glinting in the sunlight.   
  
"Leo..." She started, unsure where to begin in the menagerie of thoughts and questions colliding in her head. "Why did Mommy have to break her promise?" Her wide innocent eyes searched his for an answer, any answer. He knelt reassuringly in front of her, and pushed her hair gently behind her ears, trying to think of a response that would not frighten or upset her.   
  
"I don't really know, sweetie. God wanted your Mommy to be an angel; it was Mommy's time to become an angel. Mommy didn't mean to break her promise Piper." She nodded, absorbing this information, believing it; understanding it.   
  
"But you already are an angel." He nodded. "So... why can't you stay, Leo?" Her voice caught on his name and he reached for her tiny hand, swamped by his own.   
  
"Because sweetie, you don't really need me yet. You have your Grams and Prue and Phoebe now. You don't need an angel yet Piper, though I promise that if you ever need me, just yell my name, and I promise I'll come soon. Okay?" she shook her head, chestnut eyes not convinced as she remembered her father and mother.   
  
"Daddy said he'd come back, and he didn't." Tears streamed down her cheeks, questioning the cruelty of life, the reasons behind death, the why her mommy had to be taken too. " Is Daddy an angel too then?"   
  
Leo shook his head, wishing Victor could have been a more responsible father. "He's just not a good Daddy, sweetie."   
  
"And Mommy didn't come back either."   
  
"That's different, Piper. Mommy tried to come back and she couldn't. Daddy can't right now, he's not ready to, he's not a good Daddy." He stroked her cheek. "But I'm here, I'm always here. I promise. Whenever you need me, just call. Coz I'm your angel. I'm supposed to look after you. If you can't sleep, if you miss your Mommy, if you miss me, you can call for me.   
And I'll come."   
  
Piper nodded, his green eyes telling her the truth, his words convincing her. "Will you visit me in dreams too?"   
  
Leo smiled, in his heart a glimmer of hope formed. She was so upset, so alone, so confused. But still there it was, that bravery, that understanding. "Sure, Piper. We can meet in dreams if you want." Her arms wrapped around his neck once more, her cries slowing and tears drying up. Twenty minutes passed, her breathing slowed to the rhythm of sleep and dreams of Mommy and Daddy and a world of childhood innocence that was no longer hers.   
  
~~~  
Would you lay with me   
Would you lay with me   
Till the sun peaks through the blinds   
We can stay right here   
Till our heads are clear   
~~~  
  
Her tiny form slowly stirred, Penny's hand rested lightly on her back as a yawn escaped her lips. "Mommy..." Piper whispered before the reality dawned on her. She remembered it all, the service; the memories, Leo...Leo. Her eyes scanned the room frantically, not meeting her grandmother's, trying to find the familiar blonde hair and emerald eyes. Finally her hand went to her chest where the dog tags lay, warmed by her own body heat, and a small smile formed on her face as she looked at her Grams, concerned eyes fading.   
  
"He said he'd be back soon, Piper. He said to say you'd know?" The little girl nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with screwed up hands, pushing away the tartan rug that lay around her shoulders. In her head an idea formed.   
  
"Grams, can we make cookies? Like we used to ...before?" Suddenly it occurred to Piper that it was probably very late, as her Grams was in her dressing gown, and Piper herself in pyjamas. She sighed reluctantly, hope fading. "Tomorrow then?"   
  
"You want to make them tonight, sweetheart?" The older women asked her granddaughter. Piper's brunette bangs danced across her face as she nodded enthusiastically.   
  
"Uh -huh!"   
  
"Well then..." Penny held out her hand. Piper grabbed it and ran into the kitchen, quickly getting the ingredients she knew off by heart, as Penny stood and watched, pride overwhelming her, till it fell as tears.   
  
Piper noticed immediately, dropped the chocolate chips on the side and stood in front of her Grams. "Are you crying about Mommy?" She asked, her young mind working overtime.   
  
Penny smiled through her tears, as the little girl's face changed to one of concern, their hands found each others. "A little bit, sweetheart. She...she would have been so proud of you, Piper. She was always so proud of you." Penny knelt down so her eyes met Piper's, a little Patty before her once again. "I love you Piper. So much."   
  
The four year old nodded, tracing her Grandmother's face with her hands. "I love you too Grams." Grandmother and granddaughter hugged, the barrier between them broken forever. Up above the blue lights circled and smiled. She was going to be okay, as he had known she would. He allowed himself to float slowly upwards, unwilling to leave his new friend for any length of time, her little face, so brave in the face of danger. Below him the cookie   
making started, and Leo could see he was not needed at that moment. Oblivious to the two below, the blue lights disappeared altogether, as flour and butter kneaded together and Piper pretended she wasn't stealing chocolate chips, despite Penny catching her very time.   
  
~~~  
I am here now   
You've got the best of me   
So go ahead now   
Take the rest of me   
There are two of us   
There are two of us   
~~~  
  
Twenty-seven days passed, and with each day Piper felt minutely better as she woke up, and despite no sign of Leo, she believed him when he said he'd come back. Finally the day of her birthday came, the day she had been looking forward to as much as she had been dreading it. Looking forward to presents and happy faces and Prue being extra nice, but at the same time dreading the faked smiles, the no Mommy, the differences between this birthday and every other one she had ever known.   
  
The day passed in a blur, presents opened, people thanked. Memories of previous birthdays ran through her mind, images of the traditional events tearing through her heart. Candles blown out, one wish wished, her sisters playing while she daydreamed, a slight smile on her face as she played with the dog tags that now always adorned her neck. Then suddenly a voice called through to her from the hall.   
  
"Piper, you have a visitor!" her Gram's voice echoed around the old house. Piper's heart thumped. Was it...? She raced through the lounge in her new dungarees, skidding on the wooden floors. A touch of blonde hair, two green eyes.... "Leo!" she cried as she ran towards him. He knelt down to meet her huge hug, and the two remained quiet with just each other for several moments.   
  
"Hey Piper." Leo greeted her, as the two parted ever so slightly. "Happy Birthday sweetie." From his pocket he drew out a long drop of silver, followed by...dog tags. She squealed excitedly, as he hung them around her neck, and another hug was shared, before she realised the true consequences of getting her own. Slowly she drew back from Leo.   
  
"You need yours back, don't you? You can't come and see me anymore." Her voice grew quieter, as she slipped the dog tags over his head. Not anymore, not often.   
  
"Uh uh, kiddo." He whispered, as Penny watched them from the end of the hall. Her eyes met Leo's and she nodded her approval, before turning to go back to the lounge. "You don't need me in your life right now, Piper. You have so many people; you don't need an angel just now. But... " He put the clasp of her necklace to the back of her neck gently, "...one day you will, and I'll be there, I promise. I'll be there for you when you need me."   
  
Piper nodded slowly, knowing Leo was right, not wanting him to be. She wrapped her arms around his neck one last time. "But we can still meet in dreams, right?" she asked quietly.   
  
Leo laughed softly and hugged her tighter, saying goodbye upsetting him as much as her. "Sure, sweetie. We'll meet in dreams. Always."   
  
~~~  
There are the two of us   
There are the two of us   
It's the cycle of our souls   
~~~  
  
He left in 1973...  
  
She waited from 1973...  



	8. A Destiny Unknown

A Destiny Unknown  
  
Their lives continue...together...apart...  
  
Piper and Leo stood across from each other, sharing a small, excited smile as Penny cleared her throat. "We are gathered here today to unite two souls as one. Do you, Leo Wyatt, and Piper Halliwell, join us here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond shared by both of you."  
  
Without a moments hesitation, they both answered, their voices filled with honestly and love. "I do."  
  
"You may face each other, join hands." Leo turns to Piper and she slips her hands into his, their eyes locking for a moment. "Uh, Leo, you may recite your vows." Penny added, nodding to Leo to begin.  
  
Leo took a deep breath and stared into Piper's eyes, lightly brushing the back of her hands with his thumbs. "Piper, through all the tears and struggles, I always knew in my heart that we'd make it here. I promise to love and respect you from this point forward as your husband, as my wife, my lover, my friend, and my soul mate. All I am is yours."  
  
"Piper..." Penny nodded to her granddaughter.  
  
With her heart pounding and voice wavering, Piper began her vows. "Leo, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was afraid that you were too good to be true, that maybe I didn't deserve someone so pure and beautiful and loving as you are. But here we are surrounded by the people that I love the most and I feel so proud, and so blessed to be your wife. Leo, I was born to love you and I always will." They shared a smile, a silent pull at their heartstrings by the truth in her words.   
  
Penny cleared her throat and fought back tears of happiness. "Here before witnesses, Leo and Piper have sworn their vows towards each other. With this cord, I bind them to those vows." With a quick, fluid hand movement, Penny bound their hands together using a white rope.   
  
"Heart to thee, body to thee, always and forever, so motet be." Through years of struggle, their love had triumphed. It knew no limits and defied all boundaries; as soul-mates were simply meant to be.  
  
~~~  
I am here now  
You've got the best of me  
So go ahead now  
Take the rest of me  
~~~  
  
  
~~~  
  
"Leo?" Piper whispered, turning her head to the side and willing her husband awake. "Leo?" She repeated, this time gently pulling at his arm.  
"What is it honey?" Leo murmured, his eyes still closed and one arm hooked under his pillow.  
  
"I think maybe you should fill the pool." Piper answered, a coy smile forming on her face.  
  
"Hmm..." Leo agreed, his mind and body still wavering between consciousness and sleep. "What?" He jerked his eyes open suddenly, Piper's words finally infiltrating his subconscious.  
  
"I've been in labour for exactly four hours and forty-one minutes." Piper replied, wincing as another contraction came.  
  
"You have?" Leo asked dumbly, slipping out from under the sheets and pulling his jeans on.  
  
Piper nodded, taking Leo's hand and rising to her feet. "Yep...Forty-two minutes now."  
  
"Should I call the midwife yet?" He questioned, leading Piper into the lounge where an empty children's pool lay in waiting.  
  
"No, not yet." Piper smiled, unbelievably calm and relaxed, catching Leo's hand as he rushed past her, trying to find something more helpful to do. "Deep breaths Leo." She grinned, pulling his face to hers and meeting his lips in a gentle kiss.  
  
"And this is your what? Fifth child Piper?" Leo teased, unable to comprehend how she was so unnerved at giving birth to her first child.  
  
"Don't tease me and just fill this pool hey?" Piper joked, holding her abdomen as another contraction pushing the infant closer to the outside world.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the pool was almost filled and Leo was helping Piper to settle in when yet another contraction made her double over and give a small cry of agony. "Possibly time to call the midwife." Piper gasped, slipping into the pool and closing her eyes as the water took some of her weight.  
  
"Okay. I'll be right back." Leo pressed a kiss to her forehead and rushed to make the phone call, returning to his wife's side within minutes. "Want me to massage your back?" Piper gave an eager nod and grinned as his fingers kneaded her tight muscles. "I love you." Leo whispered into her ear.  
  
~~~  
Let me touch you  
Put my hands on you  
I'll kiss you  
And we'll see things through  
~~~  
  
"And I love you." Piper replied, her voice broken by an increasingly painful contraction. "The midwife is how far away?" She questioned, the first hint of fear entering her expression.  
  
"She'll be here soon."  
  
"Ah...how soon? My water's just broke." Piper replied, rising quickly out of the water and laying on a beanbag.  
  
"It's okay, it could be another hour or two Piper." Leo insisted, gripping her hand and smiling reassuringly.   
  
"Then why do I want to push?" Piper asked breathlessly, staring innocently at Leo as if completely reliant on his answer.  
  
"You do?" Piper nodded, her nails digging into Leo's hand. "Now?"  
  
"No Leo...tomorrow! Yes now!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Okay." Leo nodded, positioning himself between her legs. "Piper, I can see the head. Next contraction, you don't have a choice but push okay?"  
  
"Sure." Piper forced a sarcastic smile that quickly converted to a grimace. Three contractions later, Leo held a screaming newborn in his arms; the midwife rushing in time to check both mother and child over.  
  
"Good timing." Leo grinned at her and Piper rolled her eyes, reaching for her baby as Leo cut the umbilical cord. "She's beautiful isn't she?"  
  
"Yes, she is. Melinda right?" Piper nodded, staring adoringly at the baby girl.  
  
"Would we dare to tempt fate?" Leo questioned and Piper shook her head, tilting her chin up to receive a loving kiss.  
  
~~~  
  
Melinda ran down the long hall, her little arm reaching up to turn the doorknob to Piper and Leo's room. Opening it, she ran across the room, jumping full force onto the bed and waking them. "Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!"  
  
"Mel what is it? Did you have a bad dream?" Piper questioned through the darkness, feeling Leo stir beside her.  
  
"No!" Melinda exclaimed in a fit of giggles. "It's my birthday!"  
  
"Oh sweetie, it's 4am. Go bad to sleep for a little while." Leo pleaded, squinting through the darkness.  
  
"But I get presents!" Melinda insisted.  
  
"Come and sleep for a little longer with us and you can open your presents when the sun rises." Piper murmured, lifting the covers to which Melinda crawled into, curling into the small space between Piper and Leo.  
  
"Will the sun wake up soon Mommy?" Melinda questioned innocently.  
  
"Just go back to sleep and the sun will be awake when you are." Piper nodded, sharing a grin with Leo.  
  
It was 7am before Melinda woke again and she excitedly shook Piper and Leo, jumping on the bed and grinning. "Presents! Presents!"  
  
"Presents? Why would Melinda be getting presents Daddy?" Piper teased.  
  
"It's my birthday Mommy! I'm this many!" Melinda held out four fingers, smiling proudly.  
  
"Well in that case, there might be something here for you." Piper leant over the side of the bed and withdrew a bag full of presents, spreading them out on the bed.  
  
"Wow! All mine?"   
  
"Yes Mel. They're all yours, but only if you give us a hug and a kiss first." Piper laughed, catching Melinda as she threw herself into her arms. "We love you baby, now open your presents." Piper leant her head on Leo's shoulder as they watched Melinda carefully open each and every present, her face lighting up at each surprise.  
  
~~~  
  
Piper ran down the stairs, clipping her hair up whilst calling for Melinda. "Melinda! Hurry please, we're going to be late!"  
  
"Where's my blue dress Mom? I want my blue dress!"  
  
"Melinda! We're late, why do you want your blue dress?" Piper gathered a bunch of clothes that littered their lounge in frustration.  
  
"Cause Daddy likes it!" Melinda screamed back, verging on tears.  
  
Piper sighed deeply, the weekly visitations becoming more of a hassle with each passing week. "I think it's in the washing Mel, take your green one."  
  
"We're always running late." Melinda muttered as she came down the stairs dragging her backpack and shoes in hand.  
  
Piper ignored the comment and stopped rushing for a minute, kneeling down to Melinda's height. "Do you have everything for Dad's?"  
  
"Yes." Melinda nodded. "I don't understand why he can't just live here."  
  
"We've talked about this Melinda. Daddy and I need to work some things out."  
  
"It's not fair."  
  
"I know you think it isn't fair, but we both love you very much okay?" Piper raised her eyebrows, waiting for Melinda to agree.  
  
"Yeah." She shrugged her shoulders, wrapping her arms tightly around Piper's neck when she pulled her into a hug.  
  
"Okay." Piper grinned. "Put those shoes on in the car, we don't want Daddy to be mad at me for being late."  
  
They both rushed to the car, Melinda's giggles bringing a smile to Piper's face. The car ride was filled with their off-key voices singing to old songs on the radio, intermitted only by bursts of laughter. Pulling up, Melinda's expression turned serious and she turned to Piper. "Walk me in please?"  
  
"Melinda..."  
  
"Please Mom?"  
  
Piper sighed deeply. "Okay, just this once." Hand in hand they walked to the door, Melinda looking at them both expectantly as Leo opened the door.  
  
"Piper." Leo nodded surprised, his wife always waited in the car.  
  
"Afternoon Leo."  
  
Leo nodded, turning his attention to Melinda. "How's my girl hey?" He grinned, kissing her forehead.  
  
"Good!" Melinda exclaimed, jumping when a loud crash was heard from inside the house. "What was that Dad?"  
  
"It was probably nothing Mel. Come on, we'll go inside and see."  
  
"Mom?" Melinda questioned fearfully, still gripping her hand.  
  
"Leo?" Piper questioned and Leo produced a shrug.  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
'Demonic?' Piper mouthed to which Leo gave a sheepish look, glancing back into his house. "How about I come in and check it out Melinda? Would that be better?"  
  
"Yes!" Melinda exclaimed happily, following Piper and Leo in.  
  
They were barely through the door when a mass of men and women swamped them. A thick gas surround them and restricting their breathing and eyesight. Instinctively, Leo found Piper's hand and they gripped each other tightly, both falling to the ground unconscious, Melinda left kneeling to their side and crying hysterically. The gas cleared and with it the army of supernatural attackers and Melinda stared down at her mother and father, lying motionless together. "Mom? Dad?" She screamed, throwing herself on top of them and burying her face in Piper's shirt. "No..."  
  
~~~  
It's the cycle of our souls  
Yet we try and change  
And rearrange the way the story goes  
That's the way the story goes  
~~~  
  
  
The past we can know...The sagas we can tell. But the future...Fate will rule and only time will tell...  
  
  
  
THE END!   



End file.
